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unless stated.
As you climb higher up a mountain, the air gets thinner and colder, the wind gets stronger, the soil gets
thinner, the slopes get steeper and the snow gets heavier. So high mountains have several different
climates.

Climbing 100 metres is like travelling 80 kilometres towards one of the poles. This affects the plants and
animals that can live on a mountain.

In hot countries, temperatures can be very hot at the bottom of the mountain but very cold at the top. In the
19th century, people in Europe did not believe that mountains in Africa could have snow on top, but high
mountains like Mount Kenya and Mount Kilimanjaro have snow and ice on top all year round.

Alpine Environment
At the top of a high mountain there is always
snow and ice on the ground. It is very cold. It is
very difficult for plants and animals to live there.
One animal that can live high up in a mountain is
the Snow Leopard. It lives in the mountains of
Central Asia. Some birds can live high in a
mountain, including the Golden Eagle.


Arable
Environment
Below the tree line,
there will often be
thick forests. If the
land is flat enough,
farm animals may live
in the fields. But it is
still very cold for most
of the year.

Subalpine Environment
Further down the mountain there is snow and ice
for some of the year. There are some small plants
and flowers here but there are no trees. Above a
certain height, trees do not grow. This height is
called the Tree Line. This is because of cold
temperatures, very little water, strong wind, thin
air and thin soil. In the tropics, the tree line is
usually between 3500
and 4000 metres, but
the tree line gets lower
as you move towards
the North or South Pole.
The tree line in the
Pyrenees is at 2300
metres. In the Tatra
Mountains in Central
Europe it is at 1600
metres and in the
Grampian Mountains it
is at 500 metres.
The Lowlands
Lowlands are flat areas around the foot of the mountain. They are often used for farming.

Mount Kenya
Mount Kenya is a tall mountain on the Equator. In the lowlands around Mount Kenya, there are many farms
and many people live there. There are also many animals. On the lower slopes of the mountain, there are
thick forests of trees and bamboo. Many animals live here, including elephants. But people do not live here.
The land is not flat enough for farming. At the tree line, trees quickly disappear. Above the tree line, there
are lots of small plants and some small animals. In the alpine zone, there are no animals, but there are
some strange and interesting plants. In the alpine zone you can see the groundsel and the giant lobelia.
These plants are only found in the mountains of East and Central Africa. At the top of the mountain there is
snow and ice. There are a few glaciers. The ground is very rocky. There are no plants and there are no
animals.